Ban the Booze- 5 Health Benefits of 30 Days Without Alcohol

There’s nothing like that first cold beer after a hard day’s work to take the edge off. When that icy chill slips down the back of your throat, knowing you deserve the reward, you give yourself a little pat on the back and feel like the real man your Grandfather taught you to be. But maybe there is something better than that. We all know the horrific effects of a hangover, with the physical pain all over and the cloudy brain functioning, that sends us into a tailspin if you need to make any kind of decision. Coupled with the weight you gain from all those late night drunk meals and next-day hangover pizzas. If you have the willpower, the benefits of 30 days of no alcohol are unbelievable, both inside and out:

1. Better Liver Performance

The liver is a trooper, we can give it that. Working like a muscle, it repairs itself extremely well. However, if you are giving your liver a severe beating every day after work, or especially a hardcore binge at the weekend, your liver will start to deteriorate, failing to effectively rid your body of toxins. Studies have shown that one month without alcohol leads to far better liver functioning and a significantly reduced risk of liver disease. Studies show that those who give up drinking for a month see their liver fat drop by 16%.

2. Increased Mind Functioning

Alcohol not only leaves your mind cloudy the next day but it also heightens depression and anxiety, which can lead to further drinking to mask the effects. However, anecdotal evidence and scientific studies have shown that a month off the booze leads to better memory functioning (within the space of a week!), and despite initial plummets in mood, anxiety, and depression improve significantly and rather rapidly.

3. Sleep Improvements

Drinking alcohol may seem to lead you to ‘pass out’ into a deep sleep, but in fact, when you have been drinking, you don’t reach all the levels of sleep that the brain needs to go through the function effectively. This is why brain functioning improves without alcohol! But it also means that you sleep far better, moving through sleep patterns in a coordinated manner, helping your brain to work through the information it’s been given.

4. Reduced Risk of Diabetes

Alcohol spikes blood sugar levels. Coupled with the fact that any form of cocktail or mixed drink usually involved sugary beverages, alcohol binges send the blood sugar levels haywire. This dramatically increases the risk of Type 2 Diabetes, especially if you drink frequently and regularly. Some studies show that blood sugar can drop by up to 14% if you stop drinking for one month.

5. Weight Loss

Alcoholic drinks are high in calories, both due to the alcohol and the sugar. Equally, binging on alcohol usually leads to binging on fast food, both late at night (followed by sleeping on a full stomach of greasy, fatty food making it hard for the digestive system to work effectively), or the next day (while you are lying on the sofa, again making it difficult for the digestive system to function). These things combined lead to your weight ballooning. Reports have shown that people can lose up to 5% body fat by not drinking for one month alone, especially in terms of fat around the organs. Equally, drinking less alcohol leads to a decrease in belly fat, especially when combined with the supplement ‘Flat Belly’. So, why not consider banning the booze for 30 days and seeing the changes it can make to your body and mind.